On route to Darj!!!

Apt summer destination for half of the Calcacians is Darj……a style of the British Indian Govt which we just could not let go…… so you get connected to the foothills by Tenzing Norgay Road, and in sometime you are up against the serpentine movements. If your car have galloped a bit and you don’t see any more machines close by then its real time to be all ears to the crickets amid  waterfalls nearing puberty (monsoon). By now the smart sporty driver must have started belting and humming with controlled ease over the wheel.

Here comes The place of white orchids (Kurseong) this hilltop tiny town was inhabited by the Lepchas!!!!

Not as vast and wide as Darj ……..but this minuscule town’s history goes back to 1835..

More famous as on route to Darj!!! Come lets peep in and explore this place in no time.

Let me be your amateur guide for this….

You enter the town with the only Indian Oil petrol pump followed by Amarjit Hotel on the left……..and if one of those octogenarian machines is on move (though octogenarian would surely be an understatement) then a bit of traffic snarl is what you find at the entrance.

Come lets meet this light yellow façade he is touted to be the cornerstone of this place.

                                                                               Kurseong Rail Station.

the TV tower in the backdrop is also one of the cult figures of Kurseong. The downhill road on the right of the station rises to the TV tower. It used to be one of my favorite weekend spots during early nineties. Have spent jolly hours sitting on the benches of the platform with Baba during Parents Weekend and then sobbing quietly on regular weekends with the magical expectation of him being air dropped just to hug me tight.

                                                                             Street Bazzar.

Leaving station behind now you move towards the market area the whole street is jacked by shabby shops on either side….not impressive at all but won’t you like to slip into a bakery shop for some yummy fresh desi donuts and creamy buns. See the rail strip on the right of omni….the whole stretch is used by the local vendors throughout the day, this makeshift business format also makes way for the whistle blowing machine. In fact they are all well versed with his schedule. In mid nineties there used to be only one SBI branch a bit further down, hopefully now there is a decent count.

                                                                Kurseong TV Tower.

You will have to wade the last few kilometers to the tower through the sporadically dense tea garden and if its during the late afternoon then you need to hurry or else you will miss the yummy & steamy momo at the tower canteen which is also set at a height. I had momo for the first time at tower canteen well it was in the year 93…..genuinely the best ever…..

                                                              Matinee hut!!!

Half way through the main street Plaza complex the only theater in Kurseong…..this hangs right at the edge of a steep cliff a set trajectory for leap of faith courtesy our matinee idols. Some Peek-a-boo moments are what I can recollect as we in uniform were never allowed near the booking counter only. Raju Bangaya Gentleman the backdrop of the main protagonist had a strong hilly connection so the film was an instant blockbuster then….and SRK then only Sharukh tracing down the roads in an open jeep for a song just got the feel stronger like never before.

                                                                   Montiviote Ground

This ground would again fall on the left from the main road……this rectangular strip have pampered many local talents a breeding ground for the plains. Remember hunching by the side lines; jostling by on Sunday derby matches and then sprinting up the hill to escape the scheduled flogs.

                                                                           Himali School!!

Have spent some eventful years in this building. From the main road while leaving Kurseong for Darj you can have a quick glance at Himali. Got introduced to whole lot of new things at Himali during early nineties and some deserves special mention, “the Baker’s Task Tin – an evening delicacy”, “Atop Rock – even a square inch of it used to be bartered during vacations to have that first look of the approaching parents or wait with awaited anticipation”, “the down shops – which were complete no no ….but they had astounding attraction”.

                                                               Victoria Boys School.

The only public ICSE School in West Bengal as on date, was established in the year 1879, Victorian boys were special in the town, we used to trek the downhill to watch Victorians playing and wooing downhill girls…..and if it’s a late back through the downhill you are not suggested to walk all we used to do is sprint against all odds…..

                                                                   Dow hill…

                                                                            Crimson Horizon.

Well you would not find a Planters Club at Kurseong but still can give it a serious thought to spend a night with the white orchids…….. hills for me starts with Kurseong and hopefully will end with it….

Visit Kurseong!!!!